Brief history of University of Cincinnati, evolution of colleges, University of Cincinnati

Brief history of University of Cincinnati

McMicken and University Pavilion lit up at night.

McMicken lit up at night. Photo/Tyler Stober, UC student in 2011 [+]

by Deborah Rieselman

From the beginning ...

1819: Founding of Cincinnati College and the Medical College of Ohio.

1870: The city of Cincinnati establishes the University of Cincinnati, which later absorbed the earlier institutions.

1906: The University of Cincinnati creates the world’s first cooperative education program through its College of Engineering. (Read UC Magazine article on co-op.)

1968: UC becomes a “municipally sponsored, state-affiliated” institution. During this time, the University of Cincinnati is the second-oldest and second-largest municipal university in the country.

July 1, 1977: UC becomes one of Ohio’s state universities, the culmination of a transitional period that began in 1968.

Today: As the 18th largest university in the nation, UC offers more than 300 academic programs to more than 42,500 students. (Read UC's numerous rankings.)

Evolution of current colleges (alphabetical by subject)

College of Allied Health Sciences — 1998

UC’s only new college in 20 years, formed to unite six health-related programs — 1998
College located in renovated Shriners Burns Institute, renamed Hastings and William French Building — 1999
School of Social Work became part of the college — 2010

McMicken College of Arts and Sciences — 1870

University’s "Academic Department" formed — 1870
Department became "McMicken College of Arts and Sciences" — 1892
Name changed to "College of Liberal Arts" — 1904
Name changed to "McMicken College of Liberal Arts" — 1906
Name reverted to its present one— 1953

UC Blue Ash College — 1967

"Raymond Walters General and Technical College" opened as UC’s first branch campus — 1967
Name was quickly shortened to "Raymond Walters Branch," then "Raymond Walters College"
Named changed to "UC Blue Ash" to increase branding with the entire university — 2011

Known as the Bazaar Building, the original applied science building was built by Mrs. Trollope in 1829 and purchased by the Ohio Mechanics Institute in 1839. [+]

Carl Lindner College of Business — 1906

Private "Cincinnati College of Finance, Commerce and Accounts" established — 1906
School joined UC as "College of Commerce" — 1912
"College of Engineering" merger created "College of Engineering and Commerce" — 1919
“College of Business Administration” became a separate college — 1946
Word “administration” dropped from name, leaving "College of Business" — 2003
Lindner's name added to the college, in honor of the philanthropist’s support of UC and the community — 2011

Clermont College — 1972

"Clermont General and Technical College" founded in Batavia — 1972
Named changed to "Clermont College" — 1987

College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning — 1922

UC’s "College of Engineering and Commerce" created the "Architecture Department" — 1922
Department became "School of Applied Arts" — 1925
School became "College of Applied Arts" — 1946
Grew to "College of Design, Architecture, and Art" — 1961
"Planning" programs added, name changed — 1982

College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services — 1905

Cincinnati Board of Education and UC founded College for Teachers — 1905
Name changed to College of Education — 1925
Name changed back to Teachers College — 1937
College of Home Economics merger created College of Education and Home Economics — 1959
Name shortened to College of Education when home economics was phased out — 1982
Name expanded — 2003

UC opened all its engineering programs to women students during World War II as part of the war effort. A chemical engineering lab is pictured. [+]

College of Engineering and Applied Science — 1900

UC initiated an engineering program — 1874
Engineering became its own department — 1900
Department became "College of Engineering" — 1905
College of Commerce merger created "College of Engineering and Commerce" — 1919
College split into "College of Business Administration" and "College of Engineering" — 1946
College of Engineering and College of Applied Science merged — 2010

The Graduate School — 1906

College of Law — 1833

School merged with "Cincinnati College" (a UC predecessor) — 1834
UC began a law department — 1896
Law department and law school affiliated, using the "Cincinnati Law School" name — 1897
Cincinnati College fully merged with UC — 1918

Surgical amphitheater from 1915. Photo/Lewis O'Brien, surgical photo [+]

College of Medicine — 1819
This is the oldest college that merged with UC, thus providing UC with its founding date. See an in-depth list of Cincinnati Medical Schools, including those not affililated with UC.

Daniel Drake established the "Medical College of Ohio," only the second west of the Alleghenies — 1819
UC’s "Medical Department" formed from affiliation with "Medical College of Ohio," after it absorbed most of the medical staff and students of Miami University, Cincinnati College and Cincinnati Hospital — 1896
UC's "College of Medicine" created when "Medical College of Ohio" and "Miami Medical College" totally merged with UC — 1909
"Cincinnati General Hospital" merged its "College of Medicine" with UC — 1916

Brothers Albino and Romeo Gorno, Cincinnati College of Music professors, performed with violinist William Knox on WLW radio’s first broadcast (alumnus station owner Powel Crosley Jr. at right). Photo/UC Archives and Rare Books.

College-Conservatory of Music — 1867
See an in-depth list of Cincinnati music schools, including those not affiliated with UC.

Private "Cincinnati Conservatory of Music" founded— 1867
Private "Cincinnati College of Music" founded — 1878
The two rival schools merged — 1955
Merged school joined UC — 1962
School moved to campus — 1968

College of Nursing — 1889

Private "Cincinnati Training School for Nurses" began — 1889
School joined the "Cincinnati General Hospital College of Medicine" — 1896
General Hospital’s "College of Medicine" merged with UC; "School of Nursing" became a separate UC college — 1916
Four-year nursing baccalaureate program began, country’s oldest — 1938
Name changed to "College of Nursing and Health" — 1942
Name shortened to "College of Nursing" — 1999

James Winkle College of Pharmacy — 1850

Private "Cincinnati College of Pharmacy" formed — 1850
College merged with UC, affiliated with biology — 1954
College joined the UC Medical Center — 1967
Winkle name added to the college name following a $10 million gift two years earlier — 2007

Colleges and schools that came and went (chronological)

College of Applied Science — 1828-2010

Private "Ohio Mechanics Institute" (OMI) opened with free evening lectures — 1828
"Ohio College of Applied Science" (OCAS) opened to offer day classes for OMI — 1919
College joined UC, retained OCAS name — 1969
“Ohio” phased out of name — ’90s
College merged into College of Engineering, creating "College of Engineering and Applied Science" — 2010
(Read more about College of Applied Science in UC Magazine.)

Ohio College of Dental Surgery — 1845-1926

The world’s second private dental college opens in Cincinnati — 1845
College affiliated with UC — 1887
After temporary closings, college finally dissolved — 1926

College of Liberal Arts — 1904-53

A phase in the evolution of the College of Arts and Sciences

Teachers College — 1905-25, 1937-59

Two phases in the evolution of the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services

College of Commerce — 1912-46

A phase in the evolution of the College of Business

School of Social Work — 1923-2010

Social-work programs offered at UC through Community Chest — 1923
UC courses offered as part of an Ohio State University branch program — 1959-72
School became part of UC's "College of Community Service" — 1978
College dissolved into a free-standing school — 1982
School became part of the College of Allied Health Sciences — 2010

School of Household Administration — 1927-43

UC created School of Household Administration — 1927
Name changed to College of Home Economics — 1943

College of Applied Arts — 1946-61

A phase in the evolution of the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning

College of Education and Home Economics — 1959-82

A phase in the evolution of the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services

University College — 1960-2003

New two-year college based in UC’s Armory Fieldhouse — 1960
University College to be phased out, programs migrating to related colleges, the bulk consolidated with the College of Applied Science; programs for under-prepared students coordinated in a new Center for Access and Transition — 2003

College of Community Service — 1969-82

UC formed a “community renewal” college — 1969
College dissolved, distributing planning departments to DAAP, criminal justice programs to education, social work programs to School of Social Work — 1982

College of Evening and Continuing Education — 1975-2002

Evening classes began at UC — 1902
Classes organized as the UC Evening College — 1938
Division of Continuing Education and Metropolitan Services founded — 1975
Division and college merged, creating College of Evening and Continuing Education — 1989
Programs redistributed to related colleges — 2002-03

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